This last month has given me a lot of time for reflection. I have thought a lot about sacrifice. As most of you know, Mom & Dad & Sandra & Amy were here for a very short visit the end of June.
Christopher received the Melchizedek Priesthood and was ordained an Elder by his father. The Bishop commented to Christopher afterwards that it was a proud day for fathers; I told him it was a proud day for mothers as well.
Christopher was surrounded by worthy men, his father and his grandfather along with others, who placed their hands on his head, that he loves and respects and who have helped him get to this point in his life. One former Young Men’s president, (who had to be attendance or it was going to be postponed until he could be there), I will forever be eternally grateful for this man and his profound influence upon my son. I know for a fact that my Heavenly Father loves me and that he loves my son. I have seen and witnessed His great love for my son.
I know that it was a sacrifice of time and money for our family to be here to support Christopher in this next step of his life. I also know that it is a sacrifice to be a worthy Priesthood holder. They live a certain standard, do certain things the Lord requires of them, which is not always easy or convenient, and above all they do not do a lot of things that are displeasing to the Lord.
All too soon Mom and Dad had to go to Columbus to visit with Grant and Sandra and kids for a couple of days, and Dad worried that he was putting me out, making me sacrifice for them in driving them to Columbus so they did not have to rent a car and pay a huge drop charge. Of course this was NO SACRIFICE for me, those of you who know me well, when I tell you that it was during the week, you will guess one of the reasons why it was no sacrifice. Yes, that is right, Columbus has what…TEMPLE…not only did I get to enjoy Mom all to myself (Dad slept) for the drive but after I dropped them off, I got to go to the Temple and do a session. It is heaven on earth to be in the Temple, I wish everyone could truly have a testimony of the Temple and the blessings that are there, wouldn’t the world be a nicer place to live? So….Mom and Dad as I told you then, come see us anytime and I will come to Columbus and pick you up… just make it on a Tuesday through Saturday, hahahaJ No seriously I will pick you up any day of the week, just come more often!!! We love you!!
This last week Steve and I went to Palmyra, NY. We went to see the Hill Cumorah pageant. We have been many times, but it has changed since the last time we were there. The script is different, it was truly a wonderful experience. It rained, well really was a downpour in the afternoon, but by pageant time it had cleared off and was cool, which was a blessing because it was so hot and humid before the rain storm. They had 9000 seats set up. I am not sure if they were all full or not as we sat in the front. It was a short trip, but wonderful.
They were not showing the film, Joseph Smith, Prophet of the Restoration, the 70 minute one, due to the time, they were showing a short one, so they could get as many people as possible. But when I asked about it, they told us they could schedule us a private showing in a small room. Of course we jumped at the chance. We have seen the film several times, however, we met a couple from our ward up there that had never been to the area or seen the pageant or the film and we wanted them to see it. If you have not seen it, I highly recommend it. You to will think about sacrifice. Over the years I have thought a lot about the sacrifices of Joseph in bringing us the Gospel, BUT this time it struck me at the great sacrifices that Emma had to make. My heart just aches for her and all that she sacrificed. I find that I have a great love for Emma, I really had never given her much thought.
After watching the film we were able to go to Palmyra and visit the Smith farm and take a tour. We got to visit the reconstructed log cabin where Moroni came to visit in the upstairs bedroom. They did research and archeology to find the original foundation and built a cabin with lumber from the Smith farm. We also go to tour the house Alvin was building. If any of you have been there prior to I believe it was 1998, you will know that the house had been added to and remodeled. Pres Hinckley had the house restored to 85% original. I love that man. It looks very different that it did when we first visited in 1986. It was great to tour it, Lucy must have really enjoyed that house, especially the kitchen, it is large. We saw the bedroom right off the kitchen where Joseph hid the plates in the bed between his pretend sleeping sisters to keep them from the mob. Saw the bricks of the fireplace where he hid the plates.
The church has moved a barn that was built by John Young, father of the Prophet Brigham, to the Smith farm. Well it is the frame of the barn, they put new roof and outside on the barn, but the interior was built by John Young. It is a thrashing barn, not a barn used for animals. It was quite interesting to hear the history. This is my way to learn history, I am a visual person, it is just more interesting. They have also reconstructed a coopers shed. Again we get to see how the plates are saved from the mobs by Joseph placing the plates in the loft of the shed instead of under the floors. The mob tore up the floor boards, but did not look just 6 feet or so above their heads where the plates were hidden.
Of course we got to then go sit in the “Sacred Grove” for several minutes. There to sit and think about Joseph and all that he did, so that I could have the Gospel in my life and come back to where it all began and sit.
As most of you know when I was investigating the church, my big problem to overcome was Joseph Smith being a prophet. I did not know there were prophets on the earth, it was a new concept for me. I don’t ever remember being taught that their would never be any more prophets, just that there were not, they has all died. Well of course when all you have is the bible that is all you know. I had a hard time accepting that Joseph Smith was a prophet, that there was a living prophet in 1983. It was a real struggle for me. Is Joseph Smith really a prophet? The rest of the things I was being taught was either stuff I already knew to be true, or stuff that I believed as soon as it was taught to me and I had occasion to think about it. I grew up going to church every week and loved the stories of the bible. I loved going to church and missed it terribly when my parents divorced and we no longer went to church. I knew there was something missing in my life, but was Joseph really a prophet, were there really living prophet and apostles on the earth. So I decided that I had to pray about it, was Joseph really a prophet? Of course I got the answer the first time I truly ask, expecting to get the answer. The answer was yes. But I am sorta stubborn and new at recognizing that kind of direct answer to prayer. I had been taught how to pray as a child, but not how to listen and recognize answers to prayer. So I asked again with the same result, and yes…then again. Well at this point I knew Joseph was a prophet, and if he was a prophet then the Book of Mormon had to be true as well as everything else I was being taught.
So I was baptized and have never looked back. The Gospel has brought so much joy and happiness into my life. I used to think for years anyway, that it came with great sacrifice on my part. My mother has not spoken to me most of my adult life, she doesn’t know and have the love of her grandchildren, this has caused me great heartache and many oceans of tears, but it is worth every bit of it. Yes, I would do it all over again, I know the Gospel is true and that it brings happiness.
I am excited that my son has a desire and is worthy to go and teach the Gospel to Heavenly Fathers children, to bring them the opportunity for the joy and happiness that we all share. I can not imagine the joy and excitement he will have when he sees a seed that he has planted grow into a baptism as the scripture says in D & C 18:15-16, especially when they go to the temple and gain the full blessings of the temple. I do know the joy those he teaches will have if they accept the Gospel.
We also got to do a session in the Palmyra Temple while we were there. It is a beautiful Temple.
We had Christopher’s wisdom teeth removed the week before we went to Palmyra in preparation for his mission. We left him home with his sister to recuperate and she took good care of him. She brought him home pudding and spaghetti O’s so that he was sure to have soft foods to eat. She did a great job. He is still working at Kroger’s at night stocking shelves. He has bought himself 12 pairs of socks for his mission, found deodorant on sale (yes he is his mother’s son) and bought himself several bottles. He found a tie on sale, but did not like it so he did not buy it. Our Bishop told us it will take approx $3000 to just get him out on the mission, not to mention the $400 monthly. I have been pricing the shoes that other moms have recommended for missionaries and they are $81 pair, so I can believe that it is going to be quite expensive to get him ready. The medical and dental stuff has already run into several hundred dollars. Did I mention that I have thought a lot about sacrifice lately???
Brenda is plugging away at college. She has been in class all summer, but it is almost over. She will be out of class in 2 weeks and won’t have to go back until after her birthday in August. She has 2 more semesters and will graduate next May. She is ready for it to be over with. She has had a lot of car problems this month, to the tune of abt $700 which of course she did not have, and it still needs some more work done on it. Christopher was broad sided in my van on his way to work toward the end of June. He was not hurt, but my van had $5000 worth of damage, and I still don’t have it back from the shop. We had just had it in the shop and spent $500 on it right before it was hit, and are having to have additional work done on it while it is in the shop for the accident repairs. I hate cars.
Steve is still working hard with the airlines. I have an interview next week to teach tax classes again this year. Hopefully I will be hired again to teach as this year I really need the money.
Canning season is upon us again, started last week. I canned 12 jars of banana peppers the other night. I have gotten 3 zucchini out of the garden and have fried them. They really are yummy! The onions are ready to be pulled and dried as are the first batch of green peppers. We are going to plant some more zucchini once the onions are pulled so that hopefully we will have zucchini way into the fall. The potatoes are not looking too great and this makes me very sad, they are one of my favorite foods. So far the tomatoes are not doing to bad, haven't picked any yet, but probably this week.
Well this is turning into a book so I will close. I love each of you and wish we could all live closer together so that we could see each other several times a year, but I guess that is not to be, in this life.
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